In the first quarter of 2021, five million new blogs were added to the internet per day. Whether you’re blogging for business or for pleasure, there’s a painful reality that every blogger needs to be aware of:
The competition is fierce.
To stand out from the literal millions of other bloggers out there, you need to bring your A-game. That’s right. You need to publish an article that’s good enough to make people stop what they’re doing, click on your title, and devour your content like a football team that’s just finished working out.
Sound like a tall order? It definitely is.
Luckily, we’ve put together a list of four things to check before you hit “publish”. Keep reading to find out more.
1. Your Topic
In marketing, buyer personas are a big deal. Why? Because when you don’t understand your audience, you’ll have a hard time convincing them to buy your products and services.
Imagine you’re googling a work problem. If you’re looking for advice on drafting commercial contracts, a general article on the need for contracts in professional contexts is unlikely to get a click.
When you’re working on your article, you’ll want to pick a topic that’s useful, value-giving, and specific. Your audience will appreciate you for it and you’ll likely see more traffic as a result.
2. Your Headline
You could put together an absolute masterclass on your subject. But if your headline doesn’t capture people’s imaginations, your bounce rate could skyrocket.
If the blog post is the steak, the headline is the sizzle. You’ll want to make sure that your headline is strong enough to keep people on the page.
3. Your SEO
If you build it, they will come isn’t a viable digital marketing strategy. To make your content easy to find, you’ll want to ensure that your SEO is on point.
First, grab your keywords and make sure you have an SEO friendly URL. Your primary keywords, or the phrases that your audience will be typing into Google, should appear in your headline, your introductory paragraph, and your conclusion.
Next, take a critical look at the technical elements of your site. Do pages load quickly or do folks have time to brew a fresh cup of coffee and grab a snack?
If you’re not familiar with images, SEO, and load times, don’t sweat it. Between WordPress, Canva, and Google Analytics, there’s no shortage of free blogging tools at your disposal.
4. Your Style
Regardless of who your audience is, you need your post to be ready for primetime when you hit “publish”.
To that end, there are entire books and proofreading blogs that are dedicated to writing well and keeping your grammar in check. But even then, there are situations that require nuance.
For instance, passive voice can make you sound like a textbook. But in certain circumstances, it can add clarity to your sentences. Whatever you decide here, you’ll want to be consistent, conversational, and polished.
Use These Tips to Publish an Article That Rocks
Anyone can publish an article. However, successful bloggers are especially skilled at focusing on the fundamentals.
Refine your topic. Punch up your headline. Make your post flawless. If you follow these tips, you’ll be getting traffic in less time than you think
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